9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:8-11 KJV

15Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

16He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

17He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

18They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

19He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:15-19 KJV

12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:12-13 KJV

1And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God,he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

2And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

3And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

4Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

5And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

6And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

7And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

9For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

10And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

11And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. Luke 5:1-11 KJV

12Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

13For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13 KJV

23Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 KJV

The Lord surely uses his children mightily at times. The past few days I have been like the Ethiopian, and some bloggers that I know have been much like Philip:

26And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.27And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,28Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.29Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.30And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.32The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.34And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.36And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?37And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.38And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.39And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. Acts8:26-39 KJV

I read, I pray, I think, and then I write. These are four things I do. The order in which these things are done varies. The Lord would probably prefer it if I continually did it this way: pray, read , pray, think, pray, write, and pray some more. It is my hope that the Lord will help me with that. But none-the-less the Lord is gracious and brings good even out of my failures.

Through blogging the Lord has provided me the opportunity to make acquaintance with some great people. Would you like to know who they are? Look at the left hand side of this page. You will find them listed in my Blogroll. This week the Lord has been dealing with some issues of the heart…of my heart. These are issues I have been struggling with for years. The Lord has used five of them this week both through their blogs and through their comments on a particular blog post of my own. If you would like to know, as Paul Harvey used to say, “The Rest of the Story” you can click on these links:

God truly does work in ways that exceed our understanding! He meets us wherever we are…because no matter where we may be, we are still in His hand if we have placed our faith in Jesus. His hands are very big indeed (https://pronetoponder.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/basic-math-and-very-big-hands/). Isn’t He just wonderful? Isn’t it wonderful to be searched, known and loved by a God like that?

I have a song on my mind. Here are the lyrics and and a video of it being sung below:

He Washed My Eyes With Tears by Ira Stanphill

He washed my eyes with tears that I might see,
The broken heart I had was good for me;
He tore it all apart and looked inside,
He found it full of fear and foolish pride.
He swept away the things that made me blind
And then I saw the clouds were silver lined;
And now I understand ’twas best for me
He washed my eyes with tears that I might see.

He washed my eyes with tears that I might see
The glory of Himself revealed to me;
I did not know that He had wounded hands
I saw the blood He spilt upon the sands.
I saw the marks of shame and wept and cried;
He was my substitute for me He died;
And now I’m glad He came so tenderly;
And washed my eyes with tears that I might see.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just go to http://www.biblegateway.com. They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

Scripture References;

4For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4 KJV

4 For whatever was written before was written for our instruction, so that through our endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we may have hope. Romans 15:4 HCSB

It is my hope that all who read the entries of this blog will either discover or be reminded that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that they need to know Him personally as their Savior, Lord, and Guide, and that He delights in making Himself known to all who seek to know Him.

It is also my hope to encourage people who might be a little afraid to seek the Lord, because they possibly have been given descriptions of both Jesus and Christians that are not accurate. The Bible teaches that Jesus is more patient, kind, forgiving, dependable, and loving than words can even express. It is my hope that they will come to really appreciate that truth, and that they will also come to more fully understand that Christians are people of faith, but their faith is in Jesus, and not in themselves; that they are not perfect and still sin, but they are enabled to love much because they are loved much. This blog is for many different types of readers (I have described some different types of readers below.), and most of the entries can be read in five minutes or less.

First there is the reader who has never received the Lord as their personal Savior. Not only can they learn about Him, they can also learn how simple it truly is to receive Him and His precious gift of eternal life. If they click on About Salvation/Very Important Words out in the left margin or on the link provided at the very bottom of every post they will find the plan of salvation explained in the simplest terms. Then they might begin to read some of the entries and find some information that might be of benefit to them.

Next there is the reader who might have received the Lord as their personal Savior, but hasn’t studied very much, and is not as close in their relationship with the Lord as they would like to be. Each of these entries addresses one or more topics and lists a few Bible verses or passages that speak about them. The reader might “ponder” them for a short devotion, or go further and search the Bible themselves to see what else the Bible might have to say. They might even be inspired to seek the Lord more often in prayer and move into a closer relationship with the Lord.

Then there is the reader who already has a fairly close relationship with the Lord and a considerable amount of Bible knowledge. Perhaps this person is used to really extensive Bible studies, but is just needing to be refreshed by some of the simple but sweet truths that caused them to Love Jesus in the first place. We sometimes in our zeal to learn, and to serve forget how to rest. Resting is important. They might look at these entries as “mini retreats”.

I want to encourage the readers to share what is on their hearts. Their comments and/or questions will most likely lead to wonderful discoveries for themselves, others, and for me. They may click on the phraseLeave a Commentat the bottom of each entry to do so. I will try to respond to all of the comments the readers make, even if it is just to say “I don’t know.”.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just go to http://www.biblegateway.com. They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

Scripture references;

You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me. Psalm 139:5 HCSB

Jesus saith unto him,I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6 KJV

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter3:9 KJV

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 KJV

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. John 10:16 KJV

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 KJV

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20 KJV

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. John 17:20-24 KJV

And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. John17:11-12 KJV

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. John 10:27-29 KJV

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Isaiah30:21 KJV

Today I am thinking about how workbooks are in some ways very similar to life. They both present us with new material to be covered, and lessons to be learned. They also present us with material that we have previously covered to help ensure retention. They each also come with questions to be answered and problems to be solved.

In workbooks you will find exercises to complete that come in many different forms. There are True/False questions, Fill in the Blank questions, essay questions, and review questions, but the most popular kind are…You guessed it!….Multiple Choice. They will provide possible answers, and you have to circle the right answer.

Life presents us with exercises to complete, as well. We are challenged to discern between that which is true from that which is false, fill our voids (blanks), and provide others with explanations. Then of course the exercise we face more than any other is …Multiple Choice. The number of choices can vary, but will often decrease over time. We all hope to select the right answer.

There is one way that life differs from a workbook. In a workbook we seek out the answer, but in life the answer is continually seeking us. This answer is always true, and is capable of filling all of our empty spaces, no matter what size they are or how many we have. This answer is Jesus. He longs to be chosen, but He chose us first, and because He chose us first, He actively seeks us and calls out to us. If we hear Him calling and then call on Him He has promised to come into our hearts and live in us, but He also promised that we would be in Him. Where in Him? In His tender, yet mighty hand. We will still have questions, and problems, and decisions to make, after we receive Him, but they will be less burdensome, because He will be with us, and ready to guide us, if we ask Him… every step of the way.

Have you circled the right answer? I hope so…The answer has circled you.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just go to http://www.biblegateway.com. They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

Scripture references;

22Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;25Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;27That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:28For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.29Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Acts 17:22-32 KJV

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 1 John 4:8 KJV

You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me. Psalm 139:5 HCSB

I am thinking about that speech the Apostle Paul made to those men of Athens in Acts 17:22-32. It is called “The Areopagus Address”. What an altar call that was! They needed to repent just like all people in every age. All need to hear, believe, and receive the message of the gospel, and all are promised the gift of salvation if they do that. It is such a precious gift to have the Lord come and dwell in us. To have Him is to have love; to be encircled in love.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just go to http://www.biblegateway.com. They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

Softly and Tenderly by Will L. Thompson

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Scripture References;

Where can I go from your Spirit?Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:7-10 NIV

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:28-39 NIV

My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” John 10:27-30 HCSB

Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Psalm 130 KJV

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1Peter 5:5-7 NIV

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Psalm 34:8 KJV

When I was a little girl I used to get little necklaces. I loved to wear them. When not in use I would store them in a little jewelry box. It had a little ballerina attached to a spring inside it and a little key on the outside. When you wound it up you could open the box and the ballerina would pop up and go round and round while music played. I stored my necklaces in that box.

Sometimes I would go to get one and they would be all tangled and in knots. I had tried to store them as carefully as a little girl could, but unsuccessfully. I would then try to untangle them, and after several failed attempts I would finally take the heap to my dad. He never was mad at me because of my inability to untangle them, or for my failure to store them properly. He would sit at the table, get out his tools and slowly, but effectively go to work on them. Eventually, he would hand them back to me “good as new”. Occasionally they would be too tightly tangled (He was only human), but most of the time he was successful.

In life we have so many treasured things. Sometimes we treasure them too much, but that is just the way it is in life. Sometimes like jewelry, we can have both things that we value greatly and long to keep forever, and things that are just to go with something for a season…that will later be discarded. We try to manage them and carefully keep them in order, but sometimes they get all tangled up. If we don’t get them untangled we won’t be able to use any of them. So we go to work with our limited tools and abilities trying to get those “knots” out. Why we do this, I don’t know, because this never works. Then we finally go to our Heavenly Father.

Why is it that we postpone taking our troubles to the Lord, and “really” giving them to Him to sort out? I am sure that there are many reasons, but I can list a few. For one thing, we don’t believe that the Lord will think they are worth fixing. Another reason might be that we think He expects us to be able to fix them ourselves. Then the last reason that comes to my mind is that we are afraid that He will think it is our fault they got that way; which sometimes can be the case but not always. We often are not sure. We might even be afraid that He will be disappointed or angry with us. The last reason is the one that plagues me the most. Fear and shame, have always been two of our greatest enemies.

No matter what our reason may be, it will always be wrong to try to fix our problems ourselves. Our Heavenly Father loves us so deeply. He actually delights in our turning to Him. We might as well… if we have received Him as our Savior, He is always near; in fact we are right smack in the palm of His mighty yet tender hand. He longs for us to bring to Him all of our hurts, fears, cares, and concerns, and our guilt and shame that we have carried in our hearts until they have almost burst, and empty that tangled heap, so he can take it and untangle it. It may take awhile, but the relief our hearts will feel the moment we pour them out will be immediate.

Give it a try. Taste and see that the Lord is good!

Below are two songs that I hope will bless you. One is a song I first heard probably 15 years ago by a group called “First call”. The other is a hymn.

When You Fall (lyrics)

Lately I’ve seen crying in your eyes.
Never known such silence to come over you.
If somehow I can chase that shadow from your face,
I could help you with the fight your going through.

Don’t you know you have every right to use me?
Heaven knows, I pray you won’t refuse me,
When my arms could easily catch you when you fall.

Once I ran a half a million miles…
There was no where I could turn but back to you.
Strong enough to care.
Willing to be there.
Then you were the one to share the pain I knew.

Don’t you know you have every right to use me?
Heaven knows, I pray you won’t refuse me,
When my arms can easily catch you when you fall…

Strong enough to care.
Willing to be there.
I can help you with the fight your going through.

Don’t you know you have every right to use me?
Heaven knows, I pray you won’t refuse me,
When my arms can easily catch you when you fall…

When your heart grows strong enough to fly…

You will know…

I’ll be by your side.

I’ll be by your side.

I Must Tell Jesus

I must tell Jesus all of my trials,
I cannot bear these burdens alone;
In my distress He kindly will help me,
He ever loves and cares for His own.

Refrain:
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone;
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.

I must tell Jesus all of my troubles,
He is a kind, compassionate Friend;
If I but ask Him He will deliver,
Make of my troubles quickly an end.

Tempted and tried I need a great Savior,
One who can help my burdens to bear;
I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus:
He all my cares and sorrows will share.

What must I do when worldliness calls me?
What must I do when tempted to sin?
I must tell Jesus, and He will help me
Over the world the vict’ry to win.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just go to http://www.biblegateway.com. They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

Scripture References;

But these are written so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name. John 20:31 HCSB

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psalm 51:10-12 KJV

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2 KJV

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13 KJV

I am thinking about moments.

We do like to capture moments; both good and bad…

We can be having a happy, quiet, thoughtful, God glorifying moment, where our focus is on everything that is lovely, and in an instant it is invaded by the memory of another moment.

Sometimes a painful moment can be branded into our memory, and the one who caused the pain can be “defined” by that moment, and as a result, the memories of the happy moments are misplaced. They might turn up for a little while only to be misplaced again.

I have experienced this on numerous occasions. Then one day I thought to myself, “How would I feel if someone witnessed me at an inconvenient moment, and then defined me by that moment?”

“Defining moments”…Then there is the moment when we realize what a mess we really are, and we cry out to our loving Savior. All of those moments that we are so ashamed of are washed away; those types of moments will no longer define us in His eyes. We might struggle with the memories of them in us, but they are no longer part of His memory.

Isn’t it wonderful to be defined by the moment we went to the cross…the moment we believed? (John20:31)

And one more thing…When you catch yourself in a moment defining someone by a moment, don’t beat yourself up. Confess it to the Lord and ask him to renew your mind. We might be saved in one moment but we need to be transformed daily, moment by moment. This is something that He does for us as we call on Him. (Psalms 51:10-12, Romans12:2, and Philippians 2:13)

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just go to http://www.biblegateway.com. They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

Scripture References;

I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1 KJV

6This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. Psalm34:6KJV

15The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. Psalm 34:15 KJV

4Before a word is on my tongue,You know all about it, LORD. Psalm 139:4 HCSB

26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27 KJV

16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.17Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.18And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. James 5:16-18 KJV

9And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.13And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 18:9-14 KJV

6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11Give us this day our daily bread.

12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:6-13 KJV

I just can’t get over the significance of King David’s words” at the very top of this post:

“I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.”

Our homes can be quiet places, but they also can be noisy places. We can have the washing machine and dryer running, the furnace or air conditioner can kick on. All the while, we can be in conversation with our family and then we hear a sound that is different…

…It might be a mouse inside the wall or a kitten crying outside. It can be faint, but we do hear it. When this happens what do we do? We suddenly say “Shhh, listen!” Then everyone is quiet and we tiptoe to the appliances and turn them off for a moment. We then very quietly move toward the sound and bend our ears. We do this because we are very interested. We want to know what that sound was, because something about it compelled us to listen.

The Lord hears our every cry…ALL of them. Yet the Lord doesn’t just hear…He inclines! All that goes on in this world surely does create a din. Yet I just have to say these words again: “The Lord hears our cries…ALL of them.” He actually inclines… because they matter that much! Pause and consider that wonderful fact!

Think about your prayers; not only the carefully worded prayers, but the pauses in your prayers where both your heart and the Spirit groan…those intense longings that the Lord places in every person who has made Him their “Delight”. Those groans speak volumes. The Lord considers them just as effectual and fervent as the specifically worded intercessions of those such as Elijah the prophet. So if you ever are longing to pour out your heart to the Lord, but find that you are at a loss for words just remember that those groans avail so much…don’t ever doubt it.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just go to http://www.biblegateway.com. They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

Scripture Reference;

I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God. Psalm 40 KJV

Today I’m going to pick up where I left off in Part “1”, and look at some more verses.

5Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

I am having a little trouble grasping this one, and I dare say that I am not the only one. All of us humans see only in part. We live in a world that has so much access to news, but the tendency in reporting and commenting is to focus on mostly negative reports and opinions. Sometimes our bigger battles are to do with thinking on that which is good. Actually, I am beginning to see that probably one of the biggest battles that we must face is the battle of choosing “NOT to battle”. I hope you don’t mind if I digress a little here, and please know that I am aware that the Bible teaches us to put on the “Armor of God”, and even David Himself fought in battles (both physical and spiritual) and spoke of them in the Psalms. Below is the passage of scripture that speaks about armor and battling. The Apostle Paul wrote it to the saints at Ephesus while he was in prison.

The Armor of God

“10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” Ephesians 6:10-19 NIV

The above passage mentions the “day of evil”I am sure that many Bible scholars have many varying opinions on what that phrase means. I am not a scholar. I am just a woman, a wife, a daughter, a mother, a sinner, and a blood bought child of God. There is one thing that I have learned and am still learning and will probably continue to learn for the rest of my life here on the earth. It is that the day a Christian is tempted to doubt that his/her sins are forgiven, that salvation has truly been “SECURED”, that Jesus DOES hear every cry, and have pity instead of anger when we cry out to him, the day one is tempted to think that He “WOULD” put more on His children than they could bear, that He “WILL NOT” cast out the type of fear that “TORMENTS”, the day one is tempted to doubt that the love of Jesus is powerful enough to save to “THE UTTERMOST” those who come to him(Hebrews 7:25), the day one is tempted to doubt that the very most important battle ever fought for us was fought and “WON” by “JESUS” when He died on that cross and rose the 3rd day… that day is truly a “day of evil”! I will never forget a few years ago I was in a Sunday School class and heard something that really struck me. It had to do with the following verse:

“31And the Lord said,Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Luke 22:31-32

I remembered that as the teacher read verse 31 I recognized it, but had no memory of verse 32. The goal of all sifting is to separate one thing from another. The teacher explained that morning that Christians cannot be separated from Christ’s love and their salvation (see Romans 8:26-39 and Psalm 139). BUT look at verse 32. It was Peter’s faith or confidence in Christ that Satan wanted to separate from Peter. Look at this: “8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 4:8-9 KJV . Now look again at Luke 22:32. Jesus told Simon (Peter) that not only had He pray(ed) for Him that his faith would not fail, but also that when Simon (Peter) was converted that he would strengthen his brethren. Jesus didn’t say “IF” thou are converted”, but “WHEN” thou are converted. I am so thankful for that Sunday School teacher’s words spoken that day.

Well, what started out as a digression has become the message. Now back to my first thought… “The battle to think on that which is good”… that which is of “good report”. Does that phrase sound familiar? Look at this:

“4Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.5Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.6Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.7And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.8Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.9Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. ” Philippians 4:4-9 KJV

…Our sin is not good and it certainly is not lovely. Christians have Christ dwelling in them. This means they have new life and light in them, and yes, that light makes their sins visible to them, and when they see them they are commanded to confess them and turn from them. It is so important that we understand what it means to turn from our sins. Part of it means to understand how bad they are, and to strive to not commit them (to follow the Spirit instead of the flesh…see Romans 7 and 8). BUT do you understand that when you turn your back on something you can no longer see it? The Lord does not look at them. We are not supposed to dwell on the past(This includes both distant and recent past. Past is past…5 minutes ago is past.), we are not to wallow in shame. The Lord does not look at them… We are not to look at them either…we are to look at Jesus, to look up, not down, not over our shoulder, but up!

Now I am going back to the subject of “the battle NOT to battle”. Samuel was so upset when Israel rejected the Lord by asking for a human king to lead them in their battles. They sinned a terrible sin when they made that choice. We must choose our battles carefully, and remember that there are some battles that have already been fought and won. The Lord’s Prayer illustrates this. It is a prayer we all need to memorize and pray. Here it is:

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11Give us this day our daily bread.

12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13KJV

Now finally I will conclude today’s entry by returning to the original Bible verse:

“5Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Psalm 40:5 KJV

We are taught in scripture to take time to give thanks. But we often think of “giving thanks” as just a duty or obligation. We forget that there are real benefits to us when we give thanks. Whenever we take the time to give thanks unto the Lord we take the time to recall all of the things we know the Lord has done and promised to do in the Bible, and we also think about all of the things the Lord has done for each of us throughout our lives. We often think about difficult times where the Lord delivered us either by changing the circumstances or by changing our perspective or both, and as a result we start to magnify the Lord, and as we do this our hearts are encouraged and touched by a keener awareness of his love. It is true that the Lord’s thoughts about each and every one of us are more than can be numbered; there is no way that we could recall them all in order. However, as we become still in His presence He will bring them to our minds. What a privilege it is to give thanks unto the Lord!

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just go to http://www.biblegateway.com. They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

This is the third time that I have posted this entry. I am finding that so many people today struggle with anxiety and depression. I was struggling hard myself at the time I wrote this series, but the Lord was so gracious and gave me precious glimpses of His ways. I hope this post will be a source of comfort to anyone whose is burdened.

Over the past few months I have written from time to time some things I learned as I looked at Psalm 40. I came across this psalm while I was having a panic attack. I first started suffering from them in May…probably as a post traumatic stress response to some very hard situations that I and my family had been enduring for quite sometime ( See “Transitions” in the column on the left). I have decided to re-post them starting with part one.

Scripture References;

I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God. Psalm 40 KJV

Recently I have been struggling with fear. Last Saturday morning I was running some errands with my husband and I began to struggle again. The panic attacks would come and go. I was sitting in the van while my husband went in the post office and I pulled out one of those pocket sized New Testaments that also have the Psalms, and decided to read for a few minutes. I came across Psalm 40. It was such a comfort to me. That evening I just had to read it again. I thought I might examine it verse by verse and share what comes to me. I have spent the last 2 days on verses 1-4. I hope to continue in the upcoming days, and have decided to break it into parts. Below is Part “one”.

1I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

Well, it is hard to know how the Lord measures patience, but I have been waiting a lot lately (especially these last couple of weeks), not by virtue of being one who is characterized by patience, but I have been waiting, because the Lord has put me in a place where I don’t really have much choice. I have also been doing some crying. Now I didn’t look up “cry” to see what the Hebrew meaning was. It might have meant “calling out” or “sobbing” or “both”. I have done both and sometimes both at the same time…Enough about me. The Lord “inclined unto David”, and as I prayerfully read this psalm I felt like the Lord inclined to me, and heard my cry, too. I believe He does this for all who call on Him.

2He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

Now this verse really comforts me. I can visualize a pit with slimy sides, and how helpless and afraid one would be if they were in one. One can stumble and fall in one, or an enemy could capture you and throw you in one. As I read on through the rest of the Psalm David spoke of both enemies and his own iniquities. Often times we find ourselves wondering about difficult and scary situations in which we find ourselves. Sometimes they are the result of our own sin, sometimes they are forms of persecution as a result of our obedience, but a lot of times we just aren’t sure because even on our best day we still sin:

Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. Psalm 39:5 KJV

That is why I am so thankful that Christians today have much in common with so many of God’s people who are written about in the Bible. We must not forget that Jesus was the only one who never sinned.

The Lord also set David’s feet on a rock. He will also do this for us when we call on Him if we have placed our saving faith in Him. We cannot sink into a rock. Look at John 10:29: “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” His hand is as solid as a rock. In fact one of His names is “The Rock”, and the Bible teaches that not only is He in believers, but believers are also in Him…so “His Hand” is “The Rock”. The enemy may slap us around a little, but he cannot pluck us out of the Father’s hand. In fact, as soon as we are saved it is the Lord Himself (and no other) who places us in His hand, and there we shall forever reside. We do not stand with one foot on His hand and the other on our own feeble hand of “resolve”… of “cooperation”. Our hand is much lower and if we were to do that we would most definitely be on a “slippery slope”:

4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 KJV

3I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

4Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

5For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

7Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. Philippians 1:3-7

This is something He alone does. To me this describes the nature of salvation. Where our walk is concerned, we can find ourselves in various kinds of pits, but like David, we can cry out to the Lord and at the time the Lord thinks is best He will lift us out of them.

The Lord established David’s goings, and he has established the goings of all his children.

3And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

As I read this I find myself asking the question, “What kind of song did he have in his mouth while he was in the pit?” Well, it sounds like it wasn’t a praise song; maybe it was a sad song he was pouring out in despair to the Lord. David’s tune was changed, and David didn’t change it. It says that “God” put a new song in his mouth…and as a result, “many” “have” seen it, and feared and trusted in the Lord. The Lord can do the same for us and the effect will be the same when He does it. Even if it happens when you think you are alone, you really aren’t; you are surrounded by a cloud of many witnesses who already trust the Lord, and I’m sure they will rejoice.

4Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

“Blessed”…I looked this word up in my Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to see what the Hebrew meaning of that word was as it was used in that particular verse. It said that it meant “happy” and often was used as an interjection.

“maketh the LORD his trust”… “maketh” is a word in this phrase that interests me. If we “maketh” then we DO have a choice in whom we will trust, but only those who choose to trust the “LORD” will be be happy.

“and respecteth not the proud”…God is Love or “Charity” (1John 4:16), and love is not proud or “puffed up” ( 1 Corinthians 13:4). Whenever we start to water down our trust in the Lord, so it is partly in the Lord and partly in someone or something else (including self, that old “arm of the flesh”), we have ceased to trust in the Lord, and have become a respecter of proud things. It does not mean that we aren’t saved anymore, but that we shifted our focus, and that we need to have it adjusted. When that happens the Lord will have to re-educate us so we will remember that trusting in mixtures is futile, and that all glory and honor and “respect” are to be given to Him, and Him alone.

“nor such as turn aside to lies”…there are so many lies that God’s children can be tricked into believing. Satan loves to tell them. There is no way that I could list them all, so instead I will focus on the fact that another one of Christ’s titles or names is “The Truth”, We should be so thankful for that. If we have received the Lord, the Truth resides in our hearts, but our minds need to be renewed daily, so the truth will be present in our thoughts, too. Paul advised the believers at Rome to: “ Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.(Romans 12:2 HCSB)…so the opposite of “turning aside to lies” is obviously to turn to the Savior, and allow our minds to be renewed through prayer and study of the Bible, the word of truth.

I believe there is something I need to add here today (February 6, 2011). In this post I spoke about “Pits”, “The Rock”, and “The Father’s Hand. I want to explain that “pits” can be a situation/circumstance or a state of mind. When I speak of being “In The Father’s Hand” I am speaking about salvation…our secure position which is in Him. “The Rock” is also about our sure position…it means our salvation rests on the work that Jesus did and that our hope is on that, and not ourselves, or mixtures of Christ and self effort.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just go to http://www.biblegateway.com. They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

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Scripture reference;

22 And he said unto his disciples,Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. 24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? 25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:22-32 KJV

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A cover of this song by me…the words and link to the recording are below:

Evidence of Love by First Call

It is written in the colorsOf a thousand autumn twilightsPainted in the eyes of a childSpoken as forgivenessBy an honest open handIt’s the friendWho will walk the extra mile

It’s the givingWhere there is not enoughThere is everywhereThe evidence of love

Open your eyesAnd look upon the handiwork of GodOpen your soulAnd feel the breath of glory all aroundFor everywhere there’s evidence of love

It’s living in the rich earthWaving in the windIt’s music that moves us to believeAnd dying in a small townKnowing where true life beginsIt’s hope beyond what we can see

It’s the mercyWhen tears are not enoughThere is everywhereThe evidence of love

Repeat Chorus

A simple crucifix hanging on the wallEverywhereThere’s evidence of love

Below are the lyrics that I wrote

It was there in the beginning

And it came to dwell within

The new hearts it gave to you and me

And in the quiet moments

When we think we have no friends

It’s sweet and comforting, you see

He is present

He’s really quite enough

He fills the longing heart

With evidence of love.

I wanted to make a recording of myself singing it, so my daughter helped me. There is no music and it is just me by the computer with a $5 microphone. I messed up the last part a little, but here it is none-the-less:

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just go to http://www.biblegateway.com. They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!